Switch for signaling systems for vehicles



NOV. 1, i932. B, L, BQBRQFF SWITCH FOR SIGNALING SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES Filed March 31. 1930 46 E ggf? gwwwo'o Patented Nov. 1, 1932 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BORNET'L` L. BOBROFF, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN SWITCH FOR SIGNALING SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES Application led March 31, 1980. Serial No. 440,287.

This invention relates to switches for sigis held in place without. the use of fastening naling systems, and is particularly directed means, and which has a depressible shell or to switches for signaling systems for vehicles, casing provided with yielding plungers to such as automotive vehicles. provide a ground connection with the metal o Objects of this invention are to provide a parts of the steering column and a connec- 55 novel form of switch which may be readily tion with the conductor from the battery to mounted upon a suitable part or" the Vehicle furnish. electrical energy to an appropriate such as the steering column and is preferably portion of the switch, such as the movable carried by the light switch control i'od, the Contact member.

10 spark control rod, or the gas control rod, Further objects are to provide a construc- 6o which controls signal lamps, and which is so tion which is very compact, which is easy to made that a portion of the switch is bodily assemble and install, and which is of attracdepiessible to close the horn circuit, so that tive appearance and harmonizes with the in effect a combined signal switch and horn steering wheel.

' button is provided. An embodiment of the invention is shown 6:

In greater det-ail, objects of this invention in the accompanying drawing, in which: are to provide a signal switch for automotive F ig. l is a sectional View through the sigvehicles which is so made that a plurality nal switch such view showing a portion of the of stationary contacts are provided and a cont-rol rod broken away.

20 movable contact member having fingers or Fig. 2 is sectional view through the switch 70 blades adapted to selectively engage the stasuch view being taken at right angles to tionary contacts is mounted adjacent the stav- Fig. 1. tionary contacts and is operated by a button Referring to drawing it will be seen that or similar member to selectively engage the the switch comprises a body portion 1, a slid- 25 desired stationary contact by merely bodily able and depressible shell 2, surrounding the 75 rocking the button laterally towards the conbody portion and having its major part lotemplated direction of turn thereby causing cated above said body portion, and a ring 3,

the appropriate signal to be given, and in Surrounding the shell. These members are which a horn contact is adapted to be enformed of insulating material, preferably raged by bodily depressing the button and bakelite, and are all carried or supported by ge associated parts, the movable contact memthe upper portion 4, of a control rod 5, or

ber remaining free of engagement with the the steering column, such for example as the Stationary Contacts although the movable light SWltCli COHI'Ol IOd, the Spark COIllOl IOd contact member approaches the stationary or the gas control rod, the usual lever 6.

Contacts, being attached to such control rod for opersa Further objects are to provide a signal ating such rod in the usual manner. The

switch which has a bodily depressible shell, thr p0rt10 I1S of the steering column includpreferably fOl-med 0f insulating material 111g the St'eerll'lg Wheel llaXG been Omltted IOII) such as bakelite, which is provided with an the drawlng for the Sallie of clearness. y

"` upper button bodily depressible with the -The Shell 2, 1S P1( )V1dd Wlth kyWayS l 9U shell to sound the horn and bodily laterally Wltliln which projecting portions of the body shiftable towards the intended direction of portion 1 seat and thus prevent relative roturn to cause the operation or lighting of tablon of the parts although permitting the the appropriate signal, and to so construct shell to slide orto be depressed with'respect 9" the shell that it serves as a housing for the to the body portion. Similarly the ring 3 is 96 switch parts. provided with a keyway which slidably re- Further objects are to provide a` signal ceives the key 9, formed integrally with the switch which has aI stationary body portion shell 2.

l having connecting means to which the con- The body portion is held downwardly in '3"' ductors may be readily attached and which Contact With the upper end of the control rod 10U CII by means of a spring 10, which bears at its lower end within a cup recess of the body portion. Such body portion being provided with a centrally located contact 11, for a purpose hereinafter to appear and such contact being preferably carried within an upwardly projecting part of the body portion. y

An insulating cup shaped member 12, is positioned above the body portion and is provided with a cup shaped metal lining 13, having a depressed central portion 14, adapted to contact with the-contact 11, of the body portion when the shell 2 is depressed. The upper end of the spring 10, lits within this cup shaped member and urges the cup shaped member upwardly.,` The upper end of the cup shaped member is provided with a tongue or projection 15, which is guided in a manner hereinafter to appear. The spring lining 13, of the cup'shaped member contacts laterally andelectrically with the casing 16, of a yielding `or spring pressed contact plunger 17, see Fig.r 2, such spring pressed plunger being of any suitable type. The upper end of the casing 16 is threaded into a metallic bushing set within the cup shaped member '12, as shown in Fig. 2.

The shell 2, as may be seen partly from Fig. 2, carries a metal strip 18, which is provided with spaced folded portions 19, which carry a pivot pin 20. This metal strip 18, is held in place at one end by means of a screw 21, threaded into a metal bushing 22 molded 1n place within the shell 2. Similarly a metal bushing 23, is molded in place within the shell 2 and receives the Aupper threaded end of the casing 24 of a yielding or spring pressed plunger 25. The lower end of the plunger 25, contacts with a metal sleeve 26, molded in place within the body portion y1. This sleeve 26 constitutes a terminal member adapted to have a conductor or wire 27 clamped thereto by means of the screw 28.

The switch comprises afcontact member 29, provided ywith a pair of contact plates or fingers 30, adapted to selectively engage either one of the stationarycontacts 31, see Fig. 1. The stationary contacts 31, are carried rigidly by angularly shaped metal members 32, clamped in place upon the body portion by means of screws 33. These screws 33, form terminal members' for the ystationary contacts 31 and clamp conductors 34 and 35 in place against the body portion and eleci trically connect such-conductors to the stationary contacts 31.

Themovable contact member is provided with a centrallyV located rectangular recess which receives the rectangular shouldered portion 36, vand rests against a shoulder formed on a rocking metal member 37, see Fig. 1. The metal member 37 is provided with a threaded upwardly projecting shank 38, and a lockingfnut 39 is screwed upon such shank to lock the contact member 29 rigidly in place. The contact member 37 is pivotally carried by the pin 2O previously described. lt is to be noted also from Figs. 1 and 2 that the projecting tongue 15 of the cup shaped insulating member extends through an aperture formed in the strip 18 and is adapted to yieldingly fit within a depression 40 formed in the metal member 37.

The upper end of the shell 2 is provided with a laterally extending slot 41 through which the threaded stem 38 of the looking metal member 37 freely projects.

An operating button or member 42, is provided with an internally threaded metal sleeve 43 which is screwed upon the threaded shank 38, and thus operatively connects the button 42 with the movable contact member 29.

This button is preferably formed of bakelite with the metal ferrule 43, preferably molded in place. It is also preferable to form the upper end of the shell 2, spherically although the body portion of the shell is cylindrical. The lower face of the button 42 is spherically-concaved to approximately lit the spherical' upper end of the shell 2, so that the'button may be freely rocked back and forthto the right or left with respect to the shell 2.

The entire structure is held in place upon the control rod 5, by means of screws 44, see -f Fig. 2 which pass through the ring 3, control lever 6, and are screwed into the cup shaped portion 4 of the control rod. l

From the description thus far given it is apparent that the button 42 may be depressed and will depress the body portion 2 and cause the contact 14 to engage the contact 11, while the movable contacts 3() do notrengage or remain out of contact with the stationary contacts 31. l

Further it is apparent that the button 42 may be rocked to the right or left and may Athus cause the movable contact member to selectively engage the stationary contacts 31.

A It is also clear from the description previously given that the shell may be freely depressed as desired for a purpose hereinafter to appear. The shell is prevented from passing upwardly from the apparatus by means of a lower flange 44 which lits under the ring 3.

The wiring diagram has been indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2'and it will beseen that a source of electrical'energy has been providedfwhich may be the main battery 45 of the automotive vehicle. One side of this battery may be grounded and the other side connected to the Vconductor 27 and from thence to the movable connected to one side of the Vhorn 46, see Fig. 1. The conductor 34 is connected to the left signal lamp 47 see Fig. 1 and the conductor 35 lli) is Connected to the right signal lamp 48. It is to be understood, otl course, that any num- 1 J l ber ot signal lamps may be igea in groups corresponding to the rignt and lei:J signal lamp and may be located on opposit sides and the rear of the automotive hicle. lt is apparent 'fr m the descr that i Yhen the shell. and button are that the horn sounded as the nested to the central contact ll portion by means of the conductor e119, l n contact 4; is grounded by in plunger l? which ContactV 'lon oit' tte metal cont as snonn nest clearly in Fig. .2. .at

r that when the button l2 is move/l tl at the lett signal lamp el? is l. Similarly a movement to the right cause.. n right signal lamp to be lighted.

lt is amai-ent also tnat the e may b readily mounted upon a i umn and pro a combined horn button and signals vitcn which very cf act and vfnichlia' s periectlyivitli' and associated pai` Fu the steering' column are pre any i i as a cable and may thus be freely slipped into 'Y V further, that the yieidn "y i i5 tends to hold bn on OCHOA? position, although it permts to be rocked to the right or left c to direction ot tura contem- Jwlra 1 E# jawn piatta oy Lhe drei.

.I .ie connections between the v-*ires and the svfitch may be moet readily made, all ot the terminal :ieml'rers are carried by the body portion, and as the Y-.f'arious parts oi the device may be lifted oli', or replaced, as separate and selt contained units.

I claim:

l. A signal switch comprisin body portion, plurality oi stationary contacts ried by said body portion, e shell surrounding' said body portion, roel g contact ried by said shell, and means cci said ro mne; contact and located said shell for operating said rocl Jig con said rocking Contact being` supported i ependently of the eteriorly located j crafting; means.

2. A. signal switch comprisi' tion, a plurality ot statifby said body portion, a ed with respect to said l ing` conta .f v sa o sliel i for operating; s id r `lng contacU to selectively said stationary contacts and cooperating contacts carried by said sl" body po on adapted to conse other when said ell (lepre,

3. A signal switch comprising a body portion, a cylindricalV shell surrounding said body portion and proj ecting upwardly therefrom and slidable and depressible with respect to said body portion and provided with a spherical upper end, a button having a spherical concave lower portion approximately fitting the upper end of said shell, a rocking` contact member pivotally carried by said shell and located Within said shell, means operatively connecting said button and said Contact member, a contact, spring-urged out Wardly from said body portion and depressible with said shell, and a plurality of contacts certain oi vhich are adapted to be selectively engaged by said rocking Contact member and one ot which is adapted to be engaged by the spring urged contact member en said shell is depressed.

4f. A switch comprism,e` a body portion hayA Q' a terminal member, a movable member sndable With rel-ference to said body portion, switch mechanism carried jointly by said movable member and said body portion and including a contac-u member carried by said movable member, a yielding contact plug carried by said movable member and yieldingly engagino said terminal member. said plug being` electrically connected to said contact member, and cooperating contacts adapted to engage when said movable member is depressed.

5. A signal switch comprising a body portion, stationary contacts provided with means for rigidly receiving conductors, a member mounted adjacent said body portion, a laterally movable contact adapted to selectively engage said stationary cont-acts, yieldinggr contact means electrically connected to said movable Contact and carried by said member, and a terminal carried by said body portion, said contact means yieldingly engaging said terminal.

6. The combination of a control rod of an automotive vehicle, and ay switch carried by said control rod and comprising a body portion resting upon said control rod, a member located above said body portion and provided With movable contact, stationary contacts carried by said body portion Jfor selective engagement by said movable Contact, and a spring.,r located between said member and said body portion and h oldinf; said body portion in engagement with said con trol rod.

7. AV signal switch comprising a body portion, a shell slidable with respect to said body portion, means for preventing relative rotation oit said body portion and shell, switch mechanism carried jointly by said body portion and shell, and terminals carried by said body portion and adapted to receive conducting- Wires.

S. The combination of a control rod of an automotive vehicle, and a signal switch comprising a body portion stationary With Vrespect to said control rod,'a movable member located above said body portion, switch mechanism carried jointly by said body portion and said movable member, terminals `,f5-Carried by said body portion, and a ring surrounding,` said movable member and secured to said control rod.

9. The combination of a control rod of an automotive vehicle and a signal switch comprising a body portion, a movable member located above said body portion, switch mechanism carried jointly by said movable member and said body portion, a ring surrounding said movable member and secured to said eontrol rod, and means for preventing relative rotation between said ring, movable member and said body portion.

10. The combination of a control rod of an automotive vehicle, and a signal switch comprising a body portion supported from said control rod, a movable member located above said body portion, switch mechanism carried jointly by said body portion and said movable member, a spring interposed between said body portion and said movable member and urging said body portion towards said control rod, a ring surrounding said movable member and secured to said control rod, and means for preventing said body portion from turning with respect to said rinfr.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aiixed hereto.

' BORNETT L. BBROFF.

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